Enrollment
494
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Montgomery, AL
Southlawn Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Southlawn Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010243001111
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southlawn Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools.
- #7 of 9
- middle schools in Montgomery · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 93.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Southlawn Middle School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southlawn Middle School ranks #7 of 9 middle schools in Montgomery, AL.
School address
District: Montgomery County · Alabama
NCES ID 010243001111 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.4%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southlawn Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southlawn Middle School
Southlawn Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Montgomery, Alabama, enrolling 494 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 93.4% of students qualify for free meals, 59% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 494 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 150 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #104.
Its student body is led by African American (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 494 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 205 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 494 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Montgomery's middle schools, it stands alongside Brewbaker Middle School (806 students): Southlawn Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 17.5:1).
Montgomery County also operates Jefferson Davis High School (1,587 students) and Carver Senior High School (1,553 students) alongside Southlawn Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Southlawn Middle School compares
Southlawn Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.4% | ▲ 59% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 494 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
494
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 27% in Alabama - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,430
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 494 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 199 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 41.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 72.9%
Hispanic or Latino 23.7%
White 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 72.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.2, Southlawn Middle School is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County, which includes Southlawn Middle School.
$11,430
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.1%
State 55.2%
Federal 25.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Southlawn Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Davis High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carver Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Crossing High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brewbaker Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southlawn Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,587
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,553
- Students per teacher
- 32.4:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,282
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 882
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar middle schools in Montgomery
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Brewbaker Middle School
Standard public school
806 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Carr Middle School
Standard public school
774 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Goodwyn Middle School
Standard public school
717 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Capitol Heights Middle School
Standard public school
593 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Bellingrath Middle School
Standard public school
583 students
Floyd Middle School
Standard public school
525 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~494 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southlawn Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Southlawn Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Southlawn Middle School
How many students attend Southlawn Middle School?
Southlawn Middle School has 494 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Montgomery, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southlawn Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southlawn Middle School is 15.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southlawn Middle School?
93.4% of students at Southlawn Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southlawn Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Southlawn Middle School is African American at 72.9% of enrollment, in Montgomery, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southlawn Middle School?
Southlawn Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Southlawn Middle School rank among middle schools in Montgomery?
By Resource Investment Index, Southlawn Middle School ranks #7 of 9 middle schools in Montgomery, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Montgomery on the city page.
Is Southlawn Middle School a good school?
Southlawn Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Montgomery County?
Besides Southlawn Middle School, Montgomery County also operates Jefferson Davis High School (1,587 students), Carver Senior High School (1,553 students), and Lee High School (1,282 students). See the Montgomery County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.